What's Goin' On In Mexico?
 

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- The Mexican government has issued a postage stamp depicting an exaggerated black cartoon character known as Memin Pinguin, just weeks after remarks by President Vicente Fox angered U.S. blacks.

Article

Disgraceful:(

What kind of mess
 

This is what you call showin' yo a**. I don't care if he is on his way to school, what are they thinking? The "mammy" in the background doesn't help either, looking like she is straight out of "massa's" kitchen.

See stuff likes this makes me want to know where are my reparations. You want to remind me, cool, we can recollect alright!

Re: What kind of mess
 

That woman you call a "mammy" from "massa's" kitchen is what quite a few women around the world look like. Even when I was in Fiji, it seemed as if the women all chose to dress like that.

-Rudey
--I'm just saying this isn't only about America...

Re: Re: What kind of mess
 

Be that as it may, in this particular instance I don't see any Asians or anyone who resembles Asians. I see the typical Sambo and Mammy.

What is President Fox smoking?

all i know is that the set of 5 is going for about $150 on ebay....and i'm sooooo glad my mom is in Mexico right now so she can bring me back as many as she can buy!!!! (gotta love American capitalism)

:confused: So you are going to get your mother to purchase these stamps? Interesting...

:(

*smdayumh*

dude, you just lost a whole of cool points.

WTF.

At any rate, I fail to see what this has to do with reparations since it's in Mexico, not the U.S., but that doesn't stop it from being effed up.

yes my mom is going to buy them. and i am going to sell them (and maybe someone is going to buy them) and so what? all this PC crap is annoying :rolleyes:

and before i get lectured on how its racist and ignorant blah blah blah, i say whats good for the goose, is good for the gander. alot of people in this country still consider many Mexicans as "wetbacks" or "illegals" or "go back to your own damn country" but you don't see me getting all dramatic about it. you just shrug your shoulders and move on.

shyt it's hard enough being a woman, and working in a corporate environment without having to be looked down on by other minorities (we are in the same boat -but I still get the 'she's just here because she's hispanic' bs)

i can understand why this might be drama if the US issued these stamps, but Mexico doesn't have the same history with black racism as the US does. god, my mom's nickname is "La More" which is short for Morena, which is "darker one". but its a term of endearment. that's the culture and it's not that big of a deal (to me or my family).

christ, its not like they pulled a proposition 187 like the US did. they're just stamps.

Reading is Fundamental
 

Key words!!

I'm sorry but this is the dumbest response I've ever read...no wait one of the dumbest responses I've ever read on GC. Mexico has people of African descent...the stamps are offensive to them...they should be discontinued. I am disgusted that you would seek to profit from this gross misrepresentation of a people.

Moderators PLEASE close this thread.

WOW, A Black Out Alert.

I thought it was in very bad taste for sure, but it is South of The Border of USA!

I thought Aunt Jamimeih was a neat lady who said use this syrup, it is the best and it was!:D

Well other than History Being What it is, there is not much that can be said is there.

You gotta wonder about how f*ck'ed up the government agency that thought this was a good idea - how stupid, bigotted, and ignorant do you have to be to approve this... or not realise its offensive nature.:eek:

1) Open mouth.
2) Insert foot.

Wow. You're response is saddening. As a minority, I would have thought that you would have seen and related to this type of behavior, and found it deplorable. Yet you condone it? That is troubling to me. These types of images have been used for years to redicule and dehumanize my people, and yes, it has occured in places other than the US. To simply push it under the rug and try to rationalize it is unacceptable.

If this was a situation where Latino stereotypes were used, would you feel the same way?

If she wasn't an ethnic minority, would you have thought that she would have found this acceptable?

No. I didn't say that.

In my personal experience (read: my life) I have found that people can relate better if they share a common experience. For example, if you and I both broke our legs as children, we could probably relate better to the pain of a broken limb than we could with someone who has never broken a bone.

I know what it feels like to be discriminated against, be called racist names, etc. That's one reason why I would never stand for that type of behavior towards another group (there are other reasons as well).

Fair enough. That's a reasonable explanation.

In your Microsoft Office program, there is a very similiar sambo-ish image used as well (microft agent character).

I find it when I look under this path C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11

It may or may not work for you if you go to check it out. I'm using MS 2000.

:rolleyes:

But I don't see any REDNECK or goofy white guys flying Confederate flags stamps. I guess blacks in this country were the only ones who wronged Mexicans.


Ummmm, it's not PC. This is outright offensive.

There's a sitcom from Hong Kong on the Chinese cable channel up here where one of the main/ensemble characters is called Fay Jai ("Fat Boy") by just about everyone. Unless you're referring to Homer Simpson, it'll never fly in North America. Weight/physical appearance is a touchy issue in Hong Kong too (women strive to be about the size of Mary Kate Olsen, men want to be very metro). What works in one country doesn't necessarily work in another

Good point. But at the same time racist images shouldn't "work" in any country.

they have been used....yo quiero taco-bell dog, speedy gonzales, but I as a Mexican dont feel offended. I LOVE Speedy Gonzales!!!! And so do alot of other Mexicans. And it bites that the cartoon network stopped running Speedy cartoons because they thought Mexicans might find it offensive. Maybe they should have thought to ask us first. And the Taco-Bell dog, well that dog is adorable!

Its your right to not be offended by those things. But my argument here is that many people that I've spoken to have found these stamps offensive. And you basically blew it off like we're being too sensitive. People have a right to not want to see negative stereotypes perpetuated, and they also have a right to have their opinions and concerned taken seriously, instead of simply being dismissed as "overly sensitive minorities."

I too am a Latina woman whose family hailed from Mexico & I am thoroughly disgusted by ambicion6's response. You're merely perpetuating the cycle of racism in this country. When was the last time you went to Mexico & really took a long look at what life is like there?
It is also saddening to see that you would seek to cash in on a really horrendous situation. I would never think to ask my relatives there to send me some of the stamps just so I could make money off them. It's awful and can't believe you would support this.

*steps off soapbox now*

then don't feel offended. you don't have the right nor capacity to tell a certain group of people what they should be offended by.

Well Ambicion,
Thank you very much for those words of wisdom, but I do find them offensive. Please don't rely on the Latinos you know to decide wether a lot of people find these things offensive or not.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of racism in Mexico, whether it is obvious or subtle. Tell me, ambicion, when was the last time you saw the main character of a Mexican telenovela that does not look white. The truth is that in Mexico, like many other Latin American countries, most of the wealthy, famous, successful people are white. On the other hand, most of the impoverished, unsuccesful people either look indigenous or dark-skinned. Does this remind you of anything? Oh yea! The United States is exactly the same way.

There are many race-related problems in Mexico that are similar to those here. This is something that will never stop if we don't realize that Latinos, although we are minorities, do have a steorotyping/racism problem. In fact, all minorities have this problem. There is no race where you find that light skin is preferred over dark skin, straight hair over curly/kinky hair, and big eyes over smaller eyes. Unfortunately, things like Taco Bell, Speedy Gonzalez, and these darn stamps do the opposite of what we should be doing -- making people conscious of the horrible stereotypes that occur in society.

Mexico Sucks!:(

They dont take care of their People, that is why The People of Mexico try like Hell to come across the Very Border that seperates us.

Do They Take Care of Said Citizans? Does "No" sound about right?:(

They still live in the world of what is in it for me!:rolleyes:

Corrupte ass wipes from the get go. If not, then they are Killed!

Welcome To Mexico!:eek:

Youre being a little culturalcentric here arent you?

Just becuase we've determined that something is unacceptable here in the states dosent mean that it is unaversally accepted as such, or even should be. Other countries have the right to be however they want to be.

We need to get off our soapbox and quit exporting our value system on the rest of the world. If they wanna end racism in their counntris, thats their deal.

I'd also liek to remind you that we in the US are HARDLY in a position to lecture other countries on race relations. Remember it was less than 50 years ago that seperate but equal WAS THE LAW OF THE LAND here. Also, we in America still have racial slurs made - hell, by greeks no less. Search 'blackface' on GC and you'll see what I mean. So lets fix our shit here before we go demanding others do the same.

Your post makes no sense to me. I don't think its to much to ask other countries to not produce racist images of people of African descent. How is that cultural-centric? Other countries do have a right to do what they want but when it negatively affects people who look like me then I WILL speak up.

The problem here is that there are certain things that we believe (whether we have accepted them 1 million years ago or 1 year ago) despite what little section of land we happen to be standing on. Racism is bad. Period. No matter where you are, the color of one's skin or someone's racial background does not dictate how you should or should not treat a person.

Now, yes, I can concede to the fact that there are some values we hold that may be debatable, but I think we can all agree in this forum that the acceptability of racism is simply not up for debate.

And I must add that "Separate but Equal" was the law of the land in America, but we are not the people who created this law. In fact, many of us are fighting for the exact opposite of these kinds of laws. And just because there exist, or have existed, certain racist doctrines in this country, it doesn't mean that I can't speak out against them.

:eek:

There are some things that you just don't admit to. :o

This is the only post in this entire thread that makes ANY sense.

Most on here are making judgements on Mexico and your only cultural experience with mexico is drinking margarita's at happy hour (which werent even invented in mexico, but in Texas).

Fact is racism in Mexico is rampant. So is economic / class segregation. You are judged on if you are white, mixed or indeginous or black. Its just how its done there. NO ONE in mexico is even suprised or shocked - by the stamp issue or Vicente Fox's comments on blacks a few months ago.

Here's the twist tho. Americans cant seperate racism from the historical violence that accompanied it. Mexico outlawed slavery before the US did. Mexico never had segregation. Mexico never went through the civil rights violence of the 50's and 60's liek we did. So Mexico has been far more progressive than the US ever has in terms of race relations. They just view people of different races as different. They will make jokes. They prefer to be with their own people and dont often cross racial lines in social circles. Its just how it is there. Since they have been much more enlightened and liberal with their civil rights then we have here in the US, I dont think we need to be so damn quick to judge.

Go there then you can be an expert on it. Till then, stick to happy hour at Chi-Chi's or Chevy's.

Sorry you couldnt understand my post. Read slower.

You mentioned the key to it yourself. Its not your business. its another country. It isnt the US post office selling the stamps. It was the governement of Mexico. Since YOU ARE NOT A CITIZEN OF MEXICO, its not your concern. You dont have a vote there. Let them deal with it. If you are that concerned, move to mexico, become a citizen and then vote for the PRI (Fox's opposition party).

There are far worse attrocities commited in the name of race in this country. Lets keep the eye on the ball here and work to end racism IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. You bitching about shit in another country isnt going to change a damn thing - especially cause its such a part of the culture there. Work to make a difference where you can. Cause I guantee that no one in Mexico gives a shit what you or I think.

Once again...you make no sense. I could read your post backwards and it still sounds like garbage.

Who says I'm not paying attention on what happens here?? And just because I don't live in Mexico doesn't mean that I can't comment on what happens there. Especially when it pertains to people who look like me, i.e. Black folks. My minor is in African and Black Diaspora Studies so I am very interested in world affairs, home and abroad for the slow folks.

And I've been to Mexico...know quite a few Mexicans of African descent...not saying this makes me an expert of race relations there but I have been exposed to the culture.

I dont agree. I personally think racism IS bad. But the recognition of racism as a bad thing is pretty uniquely American and European. Just because we have embrased it doesnt mean EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO. I guess I just believe in a nations course of self determinism. If racism is so abhorrent to nature then in the due course, the citizens of a country will make the decison to end it on their own. If we as another country force our views on them, then it wont be genuine. They have to want to end it. It needs to come from them, not us. I think its as bad, if not worse to impose our values on a country as letting them operate a system where others make judgements on a person becasue of the way they look - especially when its in a system where there are no rights violations and there is equality and has been for nearly 200 years. We sure as hell cant say that in the US. Thats just my opinion.

In the meantime, start researching the 40% of items in your home that were "Hecho En Mexico" and throw them out. And vow to not purchase anything that was ever made in mexico or has mecican components and hit them in their pocketbooks. Start a boycot. But dont just pay lip service to it. Do something or shut up about it.